The plane crashed in Pishin district, 65 kilometres north of the provincial capital Quetta, during a â€œroutineâ€ training mission, he said, adding that the pilot â€œembraced martyrdomâ€.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, he said. An investigation is under way.

It was the fourth air force jet to crash in training in over three months.

Two pilots were killed in the other incidents and a helicopter crash last June killed four military personnel.

The Pakistan Air Force has a fleet of Chinese aircraft including F-7PGs and A-5s, plus US-built F-16s and French Mirages. It recently acquired medium-tech JF-17, or Thunder jets, manufactured jointly by China and Pakistan.